CHAPTER 14: 'FUR'THER DEVELOPMENTS
"We should really get to work on your envy-inflicting hair." Analese smiled.
"Oh, I knew you could do something to help!" Ella was ecstatic.
"Do you know how they did it?" the older girl inquired. "Did they use scissors?"
The third year shook her head in the negative. "But there was hair on my bed this morning." she recalled.
"Did they charm it at all? Did you cover anything up with the awesome streaks?" the redhead questioned.
"Yeah, but I'm not ashamed of it or anything." the sisters had reached the school by that time.
"I know this isn't going to help the situation at all, but I am this happened to you, sis." Analese smiled slightly.
"No, it actually helps a lot more than you would think." the Slytherin had pulled out her wand now.
"Password?" the fat lady's portrait asked.
"Fortuna Major." the girls stated clearly.
As the painting swung open, Sir Nicholas came into view. "Good afternoon, Sir Nicholas." Ella greeted.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Ella Sinesstra. Did you enjoy Hogsmeade today?" the Gryffindor ghost asked. He looked as if he had been preoccupied before he had spotted the girls and stopped for a short chat.
"Yes, Sir, we did, thank you." Analese smiled up at the friendly spirit.
"Well, it was nice to see you young ladies on this beautiful December Saturday. I'm off to find the Bloody Baron." Sir Nicholas frowned a bit.
"What has Peeves done now?" the sisters questioned automatically.
"Soaking the first years in the library." the ghost returned. "They need to put that poltergeist on a leash, honestly."
The girls laughed, then made their way to their favorite couches in front of the fire to discuss plans on revenge and Christmas presents they wanted.
"I want a new sweater, maybe other clothes and shoes, just don't tell my parents. They'll send me some hideous dress robes." Ella laughed.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather have Fred?"
Ella's face flushed brighter than her sister's hair. Analese's knowing smirk was mocking the third year. The redhead received a throw pillow to the cranium.
"It wasn't that obvious, was it?" Ella inquired, worried Fred had noticed.
"No worries, it's one of the perks of hanging out with guys most of the time. Those three are more clueless than Flint and a Muggle first grade education." the sisters laughed as the portrait hole opened.
The aforementioned group of guys entered the lion's lair as the two girls' laughing fit advanced to hysterics. The three guys glared as they joined Analese and Ella by the fire.
"Boys." the girls grinned innocently as the guys took their seats.
"Those better be some great presents cause that was a lot of money." George spoke.
"You'll love them, trust us." the reply was in unison.
"You both have got to stop doing that." Fred stated.
"Yeah, that's our thing." George added.
"Sorry." the sister responded together. The twins groaned, exasperated with the girls' act.
"So, Pae, what do you want for Christmas?" the younger girl asked.
"I'd love some new books. I've read all the ones I got over the summer." the Gryffindor girl smirked.
"Don't you need a notebook also?" Oliver questioned.
"Yep, my old one is almost full." Analese remembered.
"Well, I already finished my shopping, but I wanted to make sure you would like my gift." the honorary Gryffindor grinned.
"Same here. But I know you'll love my gift for you, sis." the older girl returned the gesture. "And, Ol, I think Teri and I got you the perfect surprise."
"Tell me, Flame." the Keeper commanded in his serious Captain voice.
"I don't think I will, mate." Analese smirked knowingly.
Fred couldn't stop his eyes from traveling to the third year at his side. There was something about the way her eyes shined when she laughed. His gaze landed on her now short hair and he frowned. Ella had such beautiful black hair before those horrid girls had cut it.
The younger girl felt eyes on her back and turned to find the orbs she had gotten lost in many times before.
Fred realized he had been caught and hurried to cover it up. "Sorry about what they did to your hair." the fifteen-year-old's lips formed a sad, but sheepish smile. It was an expression of honesty and Ella's heart fluttered like a Snitch.
"Don't worry about it, Lese can help me fix it." she gave a small smile in return. "But thank you for the sentiments."
Fred's grin grew and he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"That reminds me. What did they charm your hair with, Ella?" Analese interjected.
"Oh, this," With a flick of her wand, the aqua blue/green streaks in her hair disappeared. The fifth year boys were enraged with what Ella had revealed. The shimmering gold letters set off a fire in Analese's eyes.
Suddenly, a waste bin filled with crumpled parchment burst into flames next to the nearest table.
"Sorry about that," the red-haired girl shrugged, having set it off with her FIERY temper. "Oh, Teri, those girls won't know what hit them. They will regret ever trying to prank you." her voice betrayed the fact that she was seething with fury. "But for now, let's repair the damage." the older girl's expression softened.
"You can do something to fix this cruel joke?" the twins questioned. Their faces showed the livid anger coursing through their veins.
"Of course, it's Analese. Is that question really necessary?" Oliver was extremely infuriated as well, but he knew that his best mate could improve the situation, if not restore Ella's raven hair to it's previous glory.
"Thanks for having faith in me, boys." Analese's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she looked pointedly to the twins. The redheaded girl pulled out her own wand and flicked it to the side. A lock of black hair fell into her outstretched palm. She studied the gold tipped clump of hair intently, receiving befuddled glances from her friends. "Well, that's a pathetic charm." she exclaimed out of nowhere. Her friends jumped at her sudden movement.
"I didn't expect much, but how simple are we talking here, Pae?" asked the only person unfazed by Analese's strange behavior, of course, Ella.
"First year, second week capability concept. Dennis Creevey could do a better job with this kind of charm." Analese grinned. "Getting your hair wet twice at the most would wash it right out. But this will be faster." the older girl flicked her wand once again and the golden capital letters had vanished.
"Thanks so much, sis." Ella was filled with an infectious glee. "I am so glad I pulled that horribly planned prank on Snape."
"Me too, Teri." Analese hugged the girl back with a chuckle. "Now about the length. Do you want it longer?"
"Just make it how it was before. I owe you a huge favor." Ella's hair grew out to it's original state at her waist.
Ella smiled as she ran to look at her restored hair in the mirror. Two seconds later, she squealed with delight. "Oh, my gosh! Thank you so much, Pae!" Ella ran over and gave Analese another huge hug. Then she jumped up and down, hopping around the room.
"You're welcome," the older girl laughed, "Excited much?"
"I bet it's all that pie you two left us to pay for." Oliver commented, sitting back in an armchair while both girls laughed. "Bloody expensive, too…"
At this, Ella fell on the floor in fits of laughter. All the boys just stared at her as she rolled on the scarlet carpet. "I want a duck," she yelled suddenly before returning to her hysterics. Analese understood the inside joke perfectly from a couple days earlier and couldn't help but chuckle at the confused expressions on the guys' faces.
"Definitely the pie." the twins said in unison. After about five minutes of spastic giggles, Ella slowly sat up. "Dizzy," she got to her feet just before collapsing on top of the twins. "You're pretty…" she smiled at Fred right before passing out from exhaustion and sugar deprivation.
"I think the sugar wore off…"
"I think you're right, Gred." they smiled and laughed before Fred scooped Ella gently from on top of himself and his brother. Once both Weasleys were safely standing again, Fred placed the unconscious girl softly back onto the couch.
"A little sleep and she'll be back to abnormal." Analese said as she put a pillow beneath her sister's full head of hair.
"I think we should put clown makeup on her and then make her pay me back for those pies," Oliver's eyes were glowing with mischief.
"Cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it, you cheapskate." Analese punched him on the arm playfully.
Once the quiet laughter had died down, the Gryffindors had quiet conversation. After a while, Oliver and George started up a game of silenced Wizard's chess. Fred and Analese watched with amusement, eventually joining in. Analese and Oliver versus the Weasley twins.
When Analese, having basically taking over, not that Oliver minded much, beat Fred and George, the winning team played a one on one match. The laughter at Oliver's frail attempts to either distract or defeat Analese, and her violent attempts to beat Oliver, which were more successful, eventually got so loud that they had to charm Ella to keep her from waking up before she was fully rested.
When the Golden Trio returned from Hogsmeade, the twins told Harry and Ron to play the victorious girl as well.
"Checkmate, Harry." Analese stated after fifteen minutes of play.
"Bloody Hell, that was one quick game, Lese." Oliver felt a sense of pride at his best mate's victory.
"Watch your ego, Wood. If anyone's head should inflate, it should be that of our little chess master, here." George pointed out.
"Check," Ron stated with a grin. This game had lasted a good portion of the hour. A crowd had gathered around, watching intently as the third year gained an advantage over his fifth year opponent.
Ella stirred over by the fireplace just in time to join the spectators, right next to her sister. In a second, the honorary Gryffindor understood the strategy being used by the 'losing' opponent. Unbeknownst to the rest of the house, Ron had left his king unprotected on a significant side, leaving room for Analese to checkmate him.
Gripping her bishop, the fifth year trapped the white king between a black knight, a black rook, and a black bishop. Not to mention the fact that the well played move also blocked the white queen's check. "Checkmate," Analese declared simply.
Ella smiled as Ron's expression went from triumphant to defeated in the blink of an eye.
Just as the twins had hoisted the victorious girl onto their shoulders and began singing 'For She's a Jolly Good Fellow', a first year came running through the portrait hole.
"Excuse me, but I have an urgent message for Evans and Sinesstra." the young girl shoved her way through the crowd.
"What is it, Sweetie?" Analese asked, having jumped down from the twins' shoulders. The eleven year old had just made it to the table.
"Dumbledore wanted me to give you this." the brunette produced a scroll of parchment from her pocket and handed it to the redhead.
"Thank you," Ella smiled sweetly at the winded little girl.
"Not a problem." she returned the gesture weakly before heading over to the other first years.
"It is from Dumbledore," over her sister's shoulder.
"And it does seem somewhat important." Analese added.
The two girls shared a glance before turning to the exit. "See you, boys." they called over their shoulders in unison with a wave.
The portrait closed behind them, but not quick enough for the siblings to miss a groan from the twins. "Stop that." Fred and George responded.
The girls raced to the stone gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office. Once they reached the entrance, realization donned.
"We don't know the password." the redhead remembered.
"You know what sounds good right about now?" Ella inquired, having not heard her sister's previous statement.
"What?" the older girl questioned.
"Those Muggle sugar sticks. What are they called again?" Ella replied.
"Pixie Sticks." the girls recalled aloud. The stone statue became animated and revealed the spiral staircase.
